Sash and window construction for automobile door bodies



April 3, 1934. J LEVAN 1,953,355

SASH AND WINDOW CONSTRUCTION FOR AUTOMOBILE DOOR BODIES Filed Jan. 6, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTOR EY5,

I J Y April 3, 1934. F LEVAN 1,9535355 SASH AND WINDOW CONSTRUCTION FOR AUTOMOBILE DOOR BODIES Filed Jan. 6, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jill/Ill! at. 11- 6. 21

ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 3, 1934 UNITED STATES SASH AND WINDOW AUTOMOBILE CONSTRUCTION FOR DOOR BODIES John F. Levan, Elkhart, Ind., assignor to Excel Curtain Company, Elkhart, Ind., a corporation Application January 6,

) 8 Claims.

Thisinvention has for its object, means for holding movable window sashes firmly against rattling in all positions thereof, and particularly to means for holding sashes from edgewise movement during the raising and lowering thereof, and particularly sashes, such as used in automobiles, which are projected above the belt of thebody, or the top edge of the door, and are unsupported by framing above the belt of the body, or the top of the door.

The invention consists in the novel features and in the combinations and constructions hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In describing this invention, reference is had to the accompanying drawings in which like characters designate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary elevation, partly broken away, of an automobile door embodying my invention. a

Figure 2 is an enlarged, sectional view on line 22, Figure 1. V

Figure 3 is a sectional view ure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail view of one of the vertical extensions of the sash frame.

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the plane of line 5-5, Figure 4, of one of the guide members.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on line 6-6, Figure 1. V

Figure 7 is a sectional view on line '77, Figure 6. V V Figure 8 is a detail view similar to Figure 2 showing another form of means for interlocking the sash, or the extensions thereof, and the guide channel. 7 Figure 9 is a fragmentary elevation of the channel shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a view similar to Figure 8 of another form of interlocking means.

This invention comprises generally, a supporting body provided with guides in the form of opposing channels, a sash having members movable in the guides, one of said members and the guides having interlocking means for holding the sash from edgewise movement, particularly during the raising and lowering thereof, as when the lifting force is unevenly applied, or applied more on one side of the vertical median line of the sash than on the other, or where a single lift arm, instead of a double lift arm, is used, usually both sash members and guides having interlocking means.

Ashere shown, my invention is applied to a hollow body of an automobile door.

on line 33, Fig- 1932, Serial No. 585,118

1 designates the hollow door, which may be of any suitable form, size and construction.

2. is the sash movable vertically in the door, through the usual slot in the upper edge of the door body, the sash preferably having a marginal frame 3 in which the glass pane is supported, the side members, or vertical extensions 4, 5 thereof, coacting with the guides in the door body 1 to support the sash, particularly when the sash is closed, or extended out of the body. These extensions4, 5 depend below the bottom rail 6 of the sash. The guides are in the form of channels 7 located in the hollow body toward the front and rear edges thereof, the channels having their open sides opposed, or toward, each other, the members 4, 5 are also in the form of channels,

and are provided with anti-friction means for coacting with the guides. Preferably, each of the guides includes a track 8 extending lengthwise of the channel and being pressed against the sash member 4 or 5 by springs 9 spaced apart along one of the side walls of each channel.

As here shown, the track is provided with studs 10 at intervals extending through suitable openings in one of the side walls 11 of the guide channel, and also through bridge pieces 12 struck from the side wall 11, and the springs 9 encircle the studs and are interposed between the bridge pieces and the track 8. Each track 8 is spaced apart at its outer edge at 13 from the bottom of the channel providing a passage 14 extending lengthwise of the channel and laterally relatively to the sash member 4 or 5. The sash member 4 or 5 is provided with antifriction means for coacting with the guide, as a plurality of pairs of rollers 15 and 16 mounted in a suitable carriage fixed in the channel of the member 4 or 5, the rollers of each pair projecting through slots in the side flanges of the channel 4 or 5, and coacting respectively with the spring pressed track 8 and with one of the side walls of the channel 7. The construction thus far described, with the exception of the passage 14, is substantially the same as in my pending application, Sr. No. 495,675, filed November 14, 1930.

The means for holding the sash from edgewise movement, particularly when a lifting force is applied unevenly, or off center, to the sash, comprises means on one or both of the members 4, 5, and interlocking with the guides, and as here shown, this means is a laterally extending flange 20 provided on a strip 21 secured to one of the side flanges of the member 4 or 5 and extending into the passage 14 in order to slidably interlock with the outer edge 13 of the track strip 8, as

' incline frame member 30.

shown in Figure 2. Also, the strip 21 is preferably provided with a laterally extending flange 23 at its inner edge for coacting with a flange 24 on the inner edge of the track strip 8. Owing to the flanges and 23, and particularly to the flange 20, the sash is held from edgewise rocking movement and hence, from mis-alinement, binding, and jamming, during lifting of the sash by lift mechanism, even though the lifting force is ap plied at one side of the vertical median line of the sash.

The lifting mechanism may be of any suitable form, size and construction, and usually includes two pivoted lift arms 25 having rollers 26 which rock in a groove 27 along the lower edge of the bottom rail 6 of the sash, these arms being operated by any suitable mechanism including a crank 28. Sometimes, but one lift arm is used, which applies full lifting force at one side of the vertical median line of the sash.

The sash here illustrated is formed with one of its sides, as 30, inclined out of a vertical line so that, when the sash is partly or wholly lowered into the door body, a V shaped space is left between the member 30 and the guide 7. 7 Owing to the incline, there is a liability of the sash vibrating in a direction at a right angle to its plane when the sash is partly or fully open. In order to prevent such vibration, a brace'is provided to bridge the V shaped space. a

31 designates the brace, which is secured to the guide or channel 7 near the upper edge of the door, the brace extending transversely, or horizontally, toward the interior of the door far enough to engage and press againstthe sash when it is lowered wholly or partially into the body 1. Preferably, the brace is provided with a cover 32 of soft, or yielding material, as felt.

The upper end of each channel member '7, and also the upper end of the spring pressed track strip 8, are provided with felt linings for coacting with the side members of the sash, particularly the side member 3, which is straight with its guide 4 and with the lower straight end of the This felt is held in position in a particularly simple and economical way. The felt strip 40 on the bottom of the channel is interlaced in the bottom as follows:

The bottom of the channel is formed with tongues 41 struck therefrom, and these tongues are pushed inwardly out of the plane of the bottom, and the ends of the felt strip 40 inserted in g the slots provided by the displacing of the tongues and then, the tongues are pressed back into a position straight with the bottom of the channel,

thus clamping the felt strip 40 in position. The felt strip 45 and the felt strip 46 are similarly secured to the spring pressed track strip 8, and to one of the side walls of the channel shaped guide 7. These felt strips also hold the sash from rattling as they engage the sash as close as possible to the upper edge of the door where the sash projects above the door. These felt strips also coact with the upper end of the straight side 3 of the sash when the sash is lowered andthus, in conjunction with the brace 31, hold the edge of the sash from rattling when the sash is lowered into the door body.

In Figure 8, the extensions 4, 5 are shown as interlocked in the guide channel 7 in a slightly different manner from thatshown-in Figure 2. In Figure 8, the extension 50 is shown as provided with flanges 51 52 corresponding to the flange 20 at its front and rear sides, which flanges slidably interlock with the guide 70. The flanges side flange of the channel guide.

In Figure 10 the strip 210 corresponding to the strip 21 (Figure 2) is shown as provided with a flange 200 similar to the flange 20 and with a strip 530 corresponding to the strip 53 (Figure 8) formed integral therewith, the margins of the strip 530 slidably interlocking with projections similar to the projections '71 (Figure 8) and the flange 2 00 slidably interlocking with the tracks 241 as in Figure 2.

This door and window construction is particularly advantageous in that the sash is firmly supported and held from rattling in all positions, and also held from edgewise tilting or binding during lifting of the sash regardless of whether the lifting force is applied centrally to the sash.

What I claim is:

- 1. The combination with a supporting body having guides in the form of channels arranged with their open sides toward each other, of a sash having members movable in the guides, the guides including a spring pressed track along one side thereof for coacting with said members, one of said members having means interlocking with the adjacent spring pressed track to'hold the sash against edgewise movement.

2. The combination with a supporting body having guides in the form of channels arranged with their open sides toward each other, of a sash having members movable in the guides, the guides including a spring pressed track along'one side thereof for coacting with said members, each of said members having means interlocking with the adjacent spring pressed track to hold the sash against edgewise movement.

t 3. The combination of a supporting body, and guides in the form of channels facing each other, and a sash having members movablein the guides, each of said members having lengthwise laterally extending flanges at its inner and outer edges, and each guide including spring pressed means extending between and slidably coacting with said flanges of the adjacent sash member and pressing toward the sash at an angle thereto for holding the sash from edgewise movement.

4. The combination with a supportingbody having guides in the form of channels facing each other, a sash having members movable in the guides, the guides including spring pressed tracks extending along one of the sides'of each channel and thrusting laterally against the adjacent sash member, said tracks being spaced apart at their outer edges from the bottoms of the channels providing passages extending lengthwise of the channels, and laterally toward one side thereof, each sash member being provided with a flange slidably interlocked in the adjacent passage.

5. The combination with a supporting body,and guides in the form of channels facing eachother, of a sash having members movable in the. guides, each guide including a spring pressed track exs tending along one of the sides of thechannel and thrusting againstthe adjacent sash member, said track'being spaced apart at its outer edge from the bottom of the channel providing a passage extending lengthwise of the channel, and laterally toward one side thereof, said member being 150 provided with a flange slidably interlocked in the passage, and being also formed with an additional angular flange at its inner edge coacting with the inner edge of said track.

6. The combination of a hollow body having a slot in one edge thereof, a sash movable through the slot into and out of the body, means placeable in the hollow body for supporting and guiding the sash, one side of the sash being inclined and bracing means fixed in the hollow body and extending transversely of the V-shaped space formed by the inclined side when the sash is lowered, said brace being stationary and fixed to the guide means whereby it is self-contained therewith and slidably engaging the sash during the raising and lowering thereof, and holding the sash from vibration when being raised and lowered, and when in lowered position.

7. The combination of a hollow body having a slot in one edge thereof, a sash movable through the slot into and out of the body, means placeable in the hollow body for supporting and guiding the sash, one side of the sash being inclined and bracing means fixed in the hollow body and extending transversely of the V-shaped space formed by the inclined side when the sash is lowered, said brace being stationary and slidably engaging the sash during the raising and lowering thereof, and holding the sash from vibration when being raised and lowered, and when in lowered position, said brace being fixed at one end to the guide means and self-contained therewith and free at its other end and terminating short of the middle of the sash, whereby it is of sulficient length only to bridge the widest portion of the V-shaped space and coacting at its free end with the margin of the sash.

8. The combination of a supporting body having a guide in the form of a channel and a sash having a member movable in the guide, said member having lengthwise laterally extending flanges on opposite sides thereof and the guide being provided with spring pressed means slidably interlocking with said flanges for holding said member and the sash from edgewise movement, said means including spaced apart projections formed from one of the sides of the channel and extending into the channel, the projections being in line in a direction lengthwise of the channel and one of the flanges slidably engaging the projections.

JOHN F. LEVAN. 

